


out here in the open

by meggiewrites



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: AI Lewy, Algaeist Benedikt, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Captain Manuel, Comp Tech Mats, Crush at First Sight, M/M, Mechanic Thomas, Neuwedes Friendship, Spaceships, Wayfarers Series – Becky Chambers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 06:08:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14731400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meggiewrites/pseuds/meggiewrites
Summary: TheStargazerneeds a new comp tech. At first, Benedikt is skeptical. Then, he is smitten.





	out here in the open

**Author's Note:**

> This was just something short and fun I came up with, based on my favourite books I read this year so far, the Wayfarers Series by Becky Chambers, namely inspired by the first few chapters of _A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet_ , the first standalone novel in this universe. 
> 
> If you're into fun, not too action-packed but more character driven Sci-Fi, definitely go check it out! This is also a book including many diverse characters and a wlw main character, written by a wlw author; and honestly, the whole thing is just so thoughtful and moving and beautifully written - I couldn't recommend it any more.
> 
> Anyway, I don't think you really need to know anything about the series to understand this thingy, and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Unbeta'd, as usual with random short skribblings)

Benedikt was of the firm opinion that they didn’t need another mechanic.

“Thomas can do it,” he said, giving Manuel a Look. His captain only sighed, not even looking at him, instead flicking through his scrib, looking over some files.

“Benni … you know I’m the last person in the universe to doubt Thomas’ abilities,” you’re certainly right there, Benedikt thought, stifling a snort, quickly glancing at the two slightly purple-ish marks on Manuel’s neck, “but he’s not a comp tech. Not by a far shot. The last time he tried to alter Lewy’s mainframe, he almost blew up the whole ship.”

He was exaggerating. There had been a short power outage, sure, but it was nothing their backup generators couldn’t handle. Of course Lewy, their AI, had complained quite loudly once he’d come back online, and Benedikt had heard him and Thomas bitch back and forth for hours afterwards, even down from the algae bay. But they’d been fine.

“‘Fine’ doesn’t cut it out in Open Space, Benedikt, and you know that as well as I do.”

Manuel looked jaded, tired. They had just barely been scraping by these past few months. Additionally to the fact that they were currently stuck in one of those economic crises that came around every ten or twenty years, not too many people offered jobs to a mediocre tunneling ship run by mostly humans, and credits were running tight.

They had been friends for what felt like forever, the two of them. They’d graduated from the same university on Port Coriol the same year, even if they’d majored in completely different subjects. Already back then, Benedikt had studied to be an algaeist. He’d grown up on a farm on a remote moon, and when he’d sat in his first classes he’d realized that most of the syllabus was stuff he’d learned when he’d been a kid; but still, he was just as invested as he’d always been.

Manuel on the other hand had majored in the arts, and from beginning to start quite undecided in what he wanted to do with his life. He’d never been the most sociable person – well, if you excluded his tendency to get drunk at or while watching waterball games, which usually lead him to think that everyone in vicinity was his friend – so Benni had been surprised when he’d opened a sib from him five years after they’d parted ways.

“I inherited a ship”, it’d said, “Tunneling. Nothing big, a bit rusty. I scraped together most of the team already, I even already hired a Navigator, but I still need an algaeist.”

Strangely, it had taken Benedikt no time at all to make a decision, even if it had meant giving up a steady planetside job. There was something about Open Space that called to him, and after a few starting hiccups, the crew had not only worked like a well-oiled machine, but also started to feel like family. And Manuel, against all expectations, made for a pretty darn good captain.

But then their comp tech had to leave because of a family emergency that chained her planetside alongside her aging parents; and as if they were a living being that suddenly lost a limb, nothing seemed to work quite right anymore.

“Alright,” Benedikt relented, “So who’s it gonna be?”

Manuel fiddled with his scrib. He cleared his throat. “It’s not like there have been many applicants. Just the one, actually. His references are good, he’s cleared by the board, but he doesn’t have a formal education …”

That didn’t sound too good. Benedikt furrowed his brow, taking the scrib that Manu offered him, skimming over the tech’s references, stopping short when he stumbled over his picture, his finger hovering over it.

It hadn’t happened to him often that he was instantly attracted to someone. But there was something about this man – he had the classic Exodan features, with sand-coloured skin, dark curly hair and dark eyes; nothing special compared to Manuel for example, whose fair hair and steel blue eyes stood out on any crowd, and even Benedikt himself, whose pale skin was littered with a galaxy of freckles – that immediately captivated him.

He was beautiful, Benedikt concluded, unable to come up with a better term to describe him. (And there was something about his tiny smirk that made him intriguing, too.)

Benedikt was ashamed to admit that that was part of the reason why he finally agreed with Manuel, even if the man’s credentials seemed less than exceptional. Still, nothing prepared him for the moment when the pod docked their ship.

Still, he felt his cheeks flush and was at a loss for words when the handsome tech offered him his hand with a soft smile.

“Hi, I’m Mats.”

(Benedikt swore he could hear Thomas cackle in the background.)

 

**Author's Note:**

>   * At first I wanted to post this in my drabble collection because it's very short, but since the tone is so different and I enjoyed writing it so much, I thought I could make it it's own little thing. Maybe I'll even add a chapter or random scene sometimes, who knows ^^ (pls tell me if you'd be interested in that!)
>   * Spaceships run on algae fuel in this universe. Yes, it's awesome
>   * Title from _A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet_ itself
>   * I write FICTION about real people. None of this is intended to harm them or their reputation in any way
> 

> 
> Please leave kudos and maybe a comment if you liked it! | [tumblr](http://manuelmueller.tumblr.com/)


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